Revuelta P, Serrano N, Plasencia E, Jiménez JJ, Málaga J, Brouard MT, Mora ML. Intensive Care Department. Hospital Universitario de Canarias. E-38320 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. http://www.epicure.org

INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to analyze the actuarial differences between patients dying in the ICU and patients who die in the ward after ICU discharge.

METHODS: A total of 249 general ICU nonsurvivor patients were studied. Coronary and cardiac surgery were excluded. Of them, 210 died in the ICU, and 39 died in the ward after ICU discharge. Epidemiological data and scoring by APACHE II and III (APS III), and SAPS II were recorded at the time of ICU admission. Dates of hospital and ICU admission, and time of the hospital death were also noted. A Kaplan-Meier's analysis was performed.

RESULTS: Patients dying in the ICU were younger and had higher APACHE III and SAPS II than those who died in the ward (p<0.001-0.004). APACHE II had no significant differences between both groups. Cumulated survival decreased less markedly in patients dying after ICU discharge (top) than in ICU nonsurvivors (bottom).

CONCLUSION: Cumulated survival is present during a similar period in both groups, and it not seems to be expected longer than 4 months of hospital stay.